johnson



(No Model.) v 2 SheetsSiheet 1. G. R. THOMSON & J. B. JOHNSON.

LAND ROLLER AND SEED SOWBR. No. 390,417. Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

(NoModeL) v '2'Sheets-Sheet 2. G. R. THOMSON & J. B. JOHNSON.

LAND ROLLER AND SEED SOWER.

Patented Oct. 2,

UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

GEORGE R. THOMSON AND JOHN B. JOHNSON, OF GOUVERNEUR, NEW YORK; SAID THOMSON ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HERBERT A. STARBUOK, OF WHITE CREEK, NEWV YORK.

LAND-ROLLER AND SEED-SOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,417, dated QctoberZ, 1888,

Application filed November 23, 1887. Serial No. 255.995.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gnoson R. THOMSON and Joan Jonxson, citizens of the United States, residing at Gouverneur, in the county 'of St. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulv Improvements in LandRollers and SeedSowers; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to landrollers and seedsowers, and has, among other objects, first, to provide ajournal-box for the shaft or journal which will be self oiling or lubricating, and which can be readily and firmly secured to the roller; second, to provide a support and bear ing for the shaft or journal between its ends, as the shaft is long and should be supported intermediate of its ends, and,third, to provide means for uniformly driving the feed of the grass-seed box attached to the roller; also,for changing the speed of such feed when desired, and, further, for stopping the feed when desired,while the roller may continue to perform its work.

Other objects will appear in the following description.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing ends suitable and novel means will be hereinafter particularly described,and specifically defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the roller and seeder with our improvements applied. Fig. 2 is an end View ofthe axle-box. Fig. 3 is a side view of the end of the stone-box with the axlebox in section. Fig. 4 is an edge View of the same with part of the stone-box cut away. Fig. 5 is a perspeetive of the devices for revolving the wire feed of the seed-box. Fig. 6 is a front view of same with some of the parts in section. Fig. 7 is a cross-section through the seed and stone boxes and showing or notch, d, for the bolt M to lie in.

in full lines the intermediate box and brace for the drum-shaft.

In the drawings, A designates the cylinders or drums of the roller; B, the shaft therefor; a, the seed-box; D, the tongue; E, the stonebox; F, the side or end standards, to which are secured the improved journal and lubri- 5 eating boxes, and G- the seat. The parts thus generally referred to and designated by letters of reference may be of any approved form, but preferably are of the construction particularly set out in the patent granted Thomson Each of said boxes is The sides and upper portion of the bore are lined with Babbitt metal, K, set into agroove made in the wall of the bore; but the Babbitt metal may be omitted.

The lower side or bottom of the bore,inside of the end projection, a, is open,so that access 7 5 may be had to the cavity J, and the lubricant therein may be carried into contact with the journal. The box near each end is formed with flanges L, extending along the sides of the box and preferably across the top, so as to form a recess to receive the lower end ofthe standard F and the straps b, which are secured to the standard by bolts 0, as indicated in Fig. 3. hen the parts are so connected, the

flanges of the box lie against the opposite sides of the standard and opposite edges of the straps, so that the box cannot move laterally.

The top of the box is preferably curved, so as to fit snugly into a correspondingly-shaped recess made in the end of the standard. The

box is held up to the standard by a bolt, M,

passed through holes made in the lower part of the straps and under the box.

The box has formed in its bottom a recess notch may extend across the bottom, as indi- This 5 bated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, or may be formed in projections depending from the sides of the box, as indicated by full lines in the same figure and Figs. 2 and 4. When the bolt is applied as described, and the nuts e thereon screwed up tight, the straps will be drawn closely against the sides of the box, and the box will be clamped tightly and iminovably to the standard. The box is supplied with oil at any convenient pointforinstance, througha hole atf, provided with aplug, g. The end projections, a, and flanges L also tend to strengthen the box. The box is not only-strong, but easy of application and removal and 'veryefficient in keeping the journal lubricated without waste of the lubricant.

The feeding device for the seed box O may be of any approved form permitting the ap plieation thereto of our invention for produc ing a uniform feed, for changing the speed, and for stopping the feed; but the form preferred is that shown in the hereinbefore mentioned patent of Thomson and Johnson, and consisting of a strand of twisted wires,.h. This wire feed has at its enda collar orjournal, 2', which passes through the end plate, N, of the seedbox and through a sleeve or projection, O, on the outside of the plate, and has a gear or cog-wheel, P, keyed to its end, so that when the gear turns the wire-feed will turn with it. The plate is formed with flanges j and perforated cars it for its firm attachment to the seedbox, and is also formed with the slotted earl. A swinging arm or hanger, Q, is journaled on the sleeve or projection 0,so as to turn thereon, and at its lower end is cored and preferably formed with an inward extension, m, thus forming a box for the arbor or journal pin R, which has 011 its outer end a pinion, T, that meshes with the gear 1?, and on its inner end a sheave or friction-roller, U. This frictionroller is secured in any suitable manner to the journal R,so as to turn therewith-for i nstance, by a pin, a, which may pass through thejournal and bear against the extension at to aid in holding the journal in place, and by a nut, 0, screwed onto the outer end of thejournal, the pin a entering a slot, 1), in the frietionroller, so that the latter willbe keyed to the journal to turn therewith. WVhen the feed is to work to deliver seed, the friction-roller will bear against the cylinder or drum A, so that by frictional contact it will turn, and thus transmit motion to the pinion and gear-wheel, and through them to the wire-feed, so that the latter will be revolved at a speed uniform with and proportionate to the speed of travel of the roller or drum A.

The hanger being free to swing upon its journal, it will rise and fall to conform to the inequalities on the face of the drum, and thus avoid the binding and straining of parts. If it be desired to feed faster or slower, the friction-roller in use can be readily and quickly removed and a larger or smaller one substituted therefor to change the feed;

The swinging arm or hangeris preferably under the influenceof aspring, so as to insure a constant pressure of the friction-roller on the drum. The preferred form of spring is a bent rod or lever, V,which has its lower end slightly curved, as shown, and passes under a lip or hook, q, formed on the hanger Q, while the upper portion of the lever will pass through clips or clamps r, secured to the side of, say, the stone-box, and be provided with a handle, \V, at one end within easy reach of the driver and engaging with a rack-bar, X, which will hold it to the desired adjustment. The press ure of the friction-roller on the drum can be controlled by the adjustment of lever V, and when the feed is to be stopped the lever is op erated to lift the friction roller from out of contact with the drum, so that the parts being thus thrown out of gear the feed will be stopped. The feed will be held out of operation by the handle to the lever engaging the rack-bar. This construction greatly reduces the number of parts, so that they are simplified, rendered less liable to get out of repair, cheapen the cost of manufacture, and made more satisfactory in operation.

In order to afford a support for the shaft of the drums between its ends, we provide an intermediate box, H, which is made in two parts, a and a', as shown, the upper part having Babbitt metal, (2, applied thereto and the lower part, a, having a cavity, J, therein for the reception of the cotton waste, and also an ap' ertured downwardly-extending lug, c, for the passage of the threaded end of the brace 1 which is secured at one end by a bolt to the tongue and at the other end to the apertured lug by nuts (1, screwed onto the threaded end of the brace, one on each side of the apertTired lug. The box H is suspended by means of the hanger or bolts J having threaded ends passed through apertures in the twoparts of the box, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, and secured thereto by nuts d, applied to the ITO bolts or rods above and below the bdx, while the upper ends of the bolts or rods are passed through the stone-box E and secured thereto by the nuts d, applied to the threaded ends of the bolts above and below the bottom of the box,washers (1 being interposed between the box and nuts, as shown in Fig.7. The parts so constructed and applied afford additional support to the shaft B, which may need it because of its length, and they further brace and strengthen the parts with which they connect, and are simple and easy of application,

Having described our invention and set forth its merits, what we claim is- 1. The within-described journal-box and lubricator, consisting of the box formed with the lubricant-chamber J, the mouth of which opens into the bore 1, and having the flanges L on its external surface near opposite ends to fit on opposite sides of a standard or support, substantially as described.

2. Thejournal-box and lubricator consisting of the box formed with the lubricant-chamber, flanges on its-external surface near opposite ends to fit on opposite sides of a standard or support, and a recess at its bottom to receive a bolt, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the standard, the box formed with a lubricatingchamber, J, the mouth of which opens into the bore I, and with flanges near opposite ends and fitted to the lower end of the standard, the straps connected to the standard and lying against the sides of the box between its flanges, and a bolt passed through the straps and across the bottom of the box, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the seed box, feed device therein, and a cylinder or drum, A, of a swinging arm or hanger carrying at its lower end a friction-roller in contact with said cylinder or drum below the bottom of the seedbox, and the gear I, connecting the pinion T directly with the feed device in the seed-box, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the hanger Q, formed at each end with an eye to receive a journal, a journal, R, passed through the eye at the lower end of the hanger and provided at one end with the roller U and at the other with the pinion T, and the gear P, meshing with pinion T and adapted to connect with a feed device to a seed-box, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

, 6. The combination, with the plate N, constituting one end of the seed-box and formed with the projection on its side, of the swinging arm journaled on said projection and the friction-roller journaled at the lower end of said arm, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the plate formed with the sleeve or-hollow projection on its side,

of the swinging arm journaled on said sleeve, the revolving feed device having a part extending through said sleeve, a gear on the end of said feed device, and a pinion and frictionwheel carried by the lower end of said arm, said pinion engaging with said gear, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the swinging arm carrying the journal and pinion at its lower end, of the pin projecting from said journal and the roller having a slot into which said pin enters to key the roller to the journal, sub stantially as described.

9. The combination, with the swinging arm carrying the roller at one end, of the lip or hook formed on said arm and the rod or lever entering said hook and serving as a spring to act on the roller and as a means for adjusting the roller, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the drumshaft, of the two-part box a a through which the shaft passes, the depending bolts or rods J passing through both parts of the box on opposite sides of the shaft and uniting the two parts of the box together and suspending them, and the brace-rod connected at one end to the ear 0 on the under part of said box and at the other end to a suitable support, substantiall y as described.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. THOMSON. JOHN B. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses:

S. "W. HARRIS, J. J. NIoHoLsoN. 

